The present invention relates to a method for producing a synthetic material part.
DE 196 42 247 discloses a method for producing a tooth replacement including an initial step of capturing three dimensional reproduction data and handling the data in preparation for the production of the tooth replacement. In this method, an electronically controlled machine tool is deployed to ensure the quick generation of a prototype. This method permits the precise production of a tooth replacement. However, the production method is decidedly expensive and requires an electronically controlled machine tool which performs the desired workpiece machining in a milling process.
The above-noted conventional method brings with it disadvantages due to the accompanying discarded material and unclean conditions, as these conditions cannot be tolerated in dental practice, even when dental labor is available for the task.
It is further conventionally known to use a three dimensional printing technology for the rapid production of prototypes. In this regard, two methods find usage: in a first method, which was developed by Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, a powder material, along with a binder medium, is applied by a spray device in layers built up to correspond to the object to be produced and the binder medium is hardened layer-by-layer and thereby binds to the powder material. In connection with the completion of the object by this first method, the excess, unbound powder material is removed. While the powder material enables this approach to offer flexibility in the configuration of the object to be produced, there typically remains a granular or gritty surface.
In another conventional method, the three dimensional printing technology is used in connection with the application of a material which is hardenable by contact with air and which is applied by electrostatic ink vapor spray jets. The spray device having the spray jets is similar to an ink vapor spray printing device and comprises comparatively more spray jets. In view of the fact that each applied material particle must be hardened completely, the production of an object by this method correspondingly requires a relatively long time.
Other conventional methods for the rapid production of objects have been elaborated and are commonly known as “Rapid Prototyping” methods. In this regard, such methods include the stereo lithography method, already developed during the 1980's by, in particular, 3D Systems Inc., by which a laser beam sculpts material in plate form based upon CAD data. Such devices require a considerable capital investment of, for example, a half million Deutschmarks or even a million Deutschmarks.
It has also been proposed to use laser sintering processes for the production of tooth replacement parts. These processes require in their own right the use of a high energy laser, which thus engenders various disadvantages.